AM 1110 Reception In Lawrence

[Laurence Glavin]

So in just a few hours, WCCM-AM decamps from its 5-year incumbency at 1490 on-the-dial
to a "more powerful" radio home.  Will this really result in better reception in its
ancestral hometown, Lawrence, Mass?  Maybe not.  A glance at fcc.gov's listing for 
WCEC-AM (call letters that may change after the switch) indicates that the pattern
data for its directional array yields the greatest signal strength of about 1340 mV
along an azimuth of 330 degrees, i.e. in the direction of Londonderry, NH with just
215 mV along 130 degrees, the direction in which Lawrence lies.  What kind of signal
strength will denizens of Lawrence perceive?  Here one must go to the website v-soft.com,
which provides expected signal strength for a given ZIP code.  By plugging in 01843,
the ZIP for South Lawrence, one can ascertain how well persons in the parts of Lawrence 
farthest from the AM 1110 array as well as those living in adjacent Andover and North 
Andover can expect the newly-moved WCCM to come in.  Well, for one thing, I don't
think it will be a signal that jumps out at you like WRKO, WNNW, WEEI-AM, WCAP, WBZ or
WLLH's Lawrence transmitter (when it's in operation...and BTW it's still down for repairs).
On occasions when I've driven in that area and sampled WCEC, it's just ok, nothing special
in that locale.  And what does v-soft.com have to say?  Well, WCCM at 1110 may be a skosh
WEAKER than it was when it emanated from Silver Hill in Haverhill.  AM 1490 registers
2.2 mV, WCEC just 1.55.  (The DBU figures 66.9 and 63.8 respectively)  AM 1110 is only
marginally stronger than WILD-AM on second adjacent 1090 25 miles away (I assume that this
is the reading for non-CH transmission). WILD-AM is given values of 1.08 mV and 60.5 DBU). 
And even this close to AM 1110, glimmers of WBNW-AM 1120 can be heard.  I suspect that on the
first day that WCCM is heard on 1110, a majority of the callers to their talk shows will 
claim a diminution of signal quality.


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